Sixteen Years of London
by kaybet
Summary: With the Ponds gone, the Doctor mops about for a bit, then goes to River to find out she's pregnant, quite far along actually and it's the Doctor's. With River back in Stormcage, he has no choice but to raise little Amelia Pond Smith all by himself. And he finds out that it's actually not that bad.
1. Chapter 1

The Doctor lazed about the TARDIS in a depressed slump. The Ponds were gone and it was his fault. He's had this augment with himself a thousand times now, but he still felt that it had been his carelessness that allowed the Angels to get to them. He was the one who had said 'Hey, let's go to New York City!'. He couldn't blame where they landed because of the TARDIS, because for once, for once, he chose where to go and they landed somewhat smoothly.

The Doctor looked up with a sigh from what he was currently working on. In the past ten minutes he had turned the thing over in his hands a hundred times and attached and detached the same wire absentmindedly while his own thoughts rose against him. With a grunt he took the piece, a long broken temporal distorter, and chucked against the nearest wall.

He left the small workshop and slowly made his way back to the console room, his feet feeling like they were made of lead. Completely silly, but that's exactly what it felt like, like every step was heavier and slower than the next. His whole body felt like it was trying to sink through the floor of the TARDIS and right to somewhere dark and safe.

And he thought like that too. He wanted so badly to just disappear into the dark, but he couldn't do that. Maybe he should just go blow something up instead. Yes, that sounded nice. Maybe he could go pick up River and blow something up with her… Yes, that sounded like a proper plan.

The Doctor put in the coordinates for Stormcage and within a couple minutes, the TARDIS landed no rougher than usual and the Doctor popped his head out of the doors, a pathetic fake grin halfway plastered on his face. At the moment, it was probably the best he manage.

But what he saw next, completely wiped the fake smile off his face and gave him a much more real and believable emotion. And that emotion was shock.

"Hello Sweetie." River said with a wide and seemingly very real smile. But the Doctor couldn't answer; he couldn't even look her in the eye. His eyes were completely glued on the elephant in the room. Well, it wasn't an elephant. It was River's very round, very large stomach that didn't come from over eating.

"Sweetie? What is it? What's the matter?" She asked, drawing him back from his racing thoughts. With an unsteady hand, he pointed at River's protruding abdomen. However, as in control of his movements as he was, he wasn't quite in control of his mind, nor his mouth.

"River… What's- What?!" He said fast and panicked. Oh, this couldn't be happening, please, River, says it's a joke, or or or a mistake, or something! Anything, just please say it's not his-

River's face turned from pleasantly surprised at his sudden appearance to confused. "What are you- Oh…" She stopped midsentence when she realized that he truly didn't know. "You're too earlier…" She whispered, mostly to herself but he could still hear her even though his ears were ringing and his hearts were pounding.

"River… Please tell me this is…." He stopped halfway through, unable to complete his sentence as he stuttered on the last word. "Or… Just…" He found that he couldn't complete any of his sentences.

River took a deep breath. "It's yours… She's yours…"

"…She…?" The Doctor asked, more a whisper than an actual word, as he ran a hand through his hair and left the TARDIS, leaving the doors wide open and crossed over to the bars that separated them.

"Yes, the baby is a she." River said gently as she got up, using one hand to support her belly and she went over to the bars, picking up her well-worn blue diary on the way. "Where are we, Doctor?" Obviously we're before dinner on Lucerne…"

"I, uh…" The Doctor cleared his throat. "Just got past New York…"

River's face fell as she recalled the events of New York and the fate of her parents. She looked away from the Doctor for a second while trying to sustain her composer. She looked back at him and reached through the bars. The Doctor saw her hand and gently laced his fingers through hers, gripping her hand tightly.

"So… Um… When did this happen?" The Doctor asked, motioning towards River's belly. "And when are you…"

"Spoilers." River said softly. "And as for that, I think it's pretty much any day now." She said, squeezing the Doctor's hand.

"Right…" The Doctor said as he squeezed River's hand back before pulling away. He fiddled around his tweed jacket before pulling out screwdriver. He pointed it at the panel next to the bars and with a few sparks, the bars slid aside, the barrier between River and the Doctor disappearing into the wall. The Doctor wanted to reach out and pull River into his embrace, but there was one last barrier separating them.

The alarms blared as the Doctor wordlessly led River to the TARDIS. Without so much as a glance, the Doctor raised the sonic high and pressed a button on the side, both turning off the alarm and the closest lights; drowning them in darkness, save for the warm glow of the interior of the TARDIS. The couple stepped through and closed the door as they heard the hurried footsteps of the guards trying in vain to prevent River Song's escape.

* * *

After the TARDIS when in the safety of the time vortex, the Doctor escorted River to the often used med bay. However, he had never used it to track the growth of a child, it was all too _new_ for him, even though he had been a father before, a very long time ago… But even then, Time Lord Children were loomed… Making this all too strange.

Silently, the Doctor shifted through piles of unused medical equipment until he found what he was looking for, a 48th century type of ultrasound. Keeping his newfound quietness, the Doctor silently rolled up River's shirt to expose her stomach and strap the two camera like devices on either side of her bulging midsection. Then, without even glancing at River, he looked at a nearby screen and pressed a blue button on one of the cameras.

The screen came to life with a static crackle and through the many different shades of gray, ranging though light gray to an almost black gray, the Doctor could barely make out a nose, maybe a few fingers and a forehead.

"Hang on…" The Doctor said as he fiddled with a dial next to the blue button. The picture on screen fluctuated through a couple shades of the rainbow before pixilating. The picture became clearer as the Doctor messed with the dial more before the picture completely cleared and in high definition, showed a tiny face with a button nose and closed eyes, all bathed in a light pink. The baby moved, her little arms sluggishly jerking about. Other than her slightly moving limbs, the tiny girl wasn't really moving about.

"She's so…" River whispered, her voice filled with emotion, something the Doctor has rarely heard before. The Doctor barely noticed as her hand found his and squeezed reassuringly , because he was too engrossed with the tiny pink thing on screen.

"Perfect?" The Doctor said, completely River's sentence before he even realized the words had come tumbling out of his mouth. Just looking at the picture, he felt a warm glow swell in his chest, a feeling he hasn't felt in such a long time.

"Yes." River said quietly as she squeezed the Doctor's hand again.

"Um… She's about…" The Doctor paused as he looked at another device, reading measurements. "Five pounds… So she's a bit small, but about ready to be born…" He trailed off, not really sure of what to compare this too. There wasn't ever a Time Lord/Human hybrid… And if there was, then the child was loomed, not born naturally. Anything could happen…

"When do you think she'll be born?" River asked, cutting his thoughts off. He looked back up and saw that the little girl on screen had started to move about a lot more, kicking and hitting the sides of her little confinement. After a few seconds the child started to still and the Doctor looked at River and saw she was rubbing her belly soothingly, avoiding the two cameras.

"Um… A few days or so…" The Doctor said quietly as he watched River sooth the little girl. On the screen she quieted down and began to suck on a finger. "We'll stay in the vortex until then."

River looked away sadly when the Doctor looked from the screen to her. "What about after?" She asked sadly. "We can't just keep her in the TARDIS, and I can't raise her in prison…."

"You don't have to go back to Stormcage." The Doctor said. "Not yet. We'll settle down somewhere, just until she's old enough to travel, then we'll go and travel together…"

"We can't." River said softly and on the verge of tears. "I have to go back to prison…"

"You don't have to… You can stay… It's a _time machine, _River." The Doctor said just as softly, but he knew how this would already end. She would leave him and he would either have to raise this kid all by himself or do something with the girl… But there was no way that he could just drop her off at an orphanage.

"I can't tell who how, but I know that I don't get to raise Amelia. You do." River said as she continued to stroke her belly.

"… Amelia?" The Doctor asked, barely noticing that his voice croaked.

"Yes. Her name is Amelia Pond Smith." River said with a small smile. The Doctor swallowed the lump in his throat and looked back at the screen. The little girl was still sucking on her finger contently; unaware of what was happening around her.

"Uh…" The Doctor cleared his throat. "Did you name her?"

"No, and neither did you." She whispered and she rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb.

"But… Who named her then?" The Doctor asked as he took one last look at the little girl before turning off the screen and taking the cameras off of River's protruding belly.

"Spoilers." River said as he put the equipment away on a nearby shelf, someplace he could easily get them again if needed. He gave a short little nod to River before helping her up.

"So, until little _Amelia_ is born, we'll just hang about in the vortex." The Doctor said.

"Okay." River said as they left the med bay, hand in hand.


	2. Chapter 2

**You know, I love reviews... By the way, Disclaimer! I don't own Doctor Who... Yet. My time machine keeps freaking out... And I'm having trouble with the 'bigger on the inside.'**

As it turns out, little Amelia wasn't so keen on just sitting around and relaxing. Within a few hours of the scan, the first contractions started and River's water broke while they were eating supper. With the Doctor panicking, his name _was _a bit misleading, he didn't know what to do, and River calmly reassuring him, he piloted the TARDIS to New New York, about ten years before he and Rose went there.

"Sweetie, calm down." River said for the hundredth time while the Doctor paced about the room they had been placed in. He had to admit, River was taking this a lot better than he was. She hadn't been put on any sort of pain reliever at all and she barely grimaced as each contraction washed over her. They been in the small room for an hour and the Doctor was surprised he hadn't come unhinged already.

With a deep breath, the Doctor sat in the chair that had been placed next to the bed. "I'm… Worried." He admitted to River.

"About what, sweetie?" River asked calmly as she reached over and offered her hand to him.

"Amelia." The Doctor said, taking River's hand. "What if something goes wrong?" It had been less than a day since he's found out about the baby, but already he felt so many emotions, even when just looking at River. Thoughts of the Ponds and their untimely demise had gone to the back of his mind. He still thought about them a lot, but he wasn't thinking about them and what happened every waking moment.

"Everything will be fine." River said calmly. "I promise."

* * *

River's screams filled the hallway where the Doctor was trying to patiently wait for some news. For twelve hours, it seemed to go so smoothly, without barely a hitch, then one, he couldn't remember at the moment, of the cat nuns had happily announced that the time had come.

Then the bleeding started.

The Doctor had been at River's side, hand in hers, feeling the bones in his fingers pop as she squeezed during the contractions when suddenly she started to scream, a horrible bloodcurdling sound, and one of the cat nuns present had grabbed the Doctor and shoved him out of the room and slammed the door shut in his face when he turned around.

A couple of minutes later the same nun had come back out, apologized and had, at a bare minimum, explained the situation. So now, the Doctor couldn't do anything but sit and wait. After about an hour of waiting and trying his best to not barge in every time River cried, he heard it. River's whimpers of pain stopped and the cat nuns cooed over new life. There wasn't any crying, like any normal baby would make, just a sigh that the Doctor had to strain to hear, but it was there. Amelia was breathing and alive.

A couple minutes after, one of the cat nuns came out and allowed him back in the room. River laid in the bed, drenched in sweat, hair sticking to her face and pale, but seemingly fine at the moment. In her arms, covered with a white cotton-like blanket, was a tiny, pink little child, eyes squashed close and little nose slightly turned up. Anybody else would say that the little girl was honestly a bit ugly, but to the Doctor she was a little bundle of perfect.

"Hello." The Doctor said quietly as touched the little girl's palm. He smiled as her tiny fingers curled around his pointer finger. To his amazement, the little girl sluggishly opened her eyes and revealed large chocolate-hazel eyes, looking straight at him. "I'm your Dad."

The girl made sort of a content sighing sound before closing her eyes and seemingly fell back asleep. The Doctor smiled at her once more before looking up at River.

"Do you want to hold her?" River asked. The Doctor could hear the exhaustion in River's voice even though she was trying to mask it.

"Uh… Yeah…" The Doctor said cautiously. He's held children before, but suddenly he felt so nervous, like she would break if he touched her. "You sure?"

River smiled slightly. "Yes." She said, holding up Amelia, offering her to the Doctor. Silently, the Doctor reached out and River gentle laid the sleeping baby into his waiting arms.

The Doctor stood up straight as he watched Amelia nap soundly in his arms. The only sound she was making was breathing. He sat down in the chair next to the bed. "Oh, River…"

River didn't say anything back, so the Doctor turned to her. River had fallen asleep and the Doctor smiled as he got back up and turned off the light, letting River and Amelia sleep while he watched from the bedside chair.

* * *

The Doctor woke the next morning, sunshine falling in his face from the window and screaming filling his ears… Wait, screaming? No, it was crying… The Doctor opened his eyes and started instinctually shushing and rocking little Amelia in his arms, who was howling at the top of her lungs for all it was worth. Her nose was scrunched up and her mouth was wide open. Her tiny hands were balled up in fists and her eyes were squeezed closed.

The Doctor got up, trying desperately to quiet Amelia before she woke River. Thinking of River, his eyes automatically went to the bed, where River was lying… But she wasn't there. In her place laid rumpled sheets and a burgundy red baby blanket, but nothing else. "River?" The Doctor called out, looking all around the room.

He went over to the small bathroom and knocked on the door while he continued to rock screaming little Amelia in his arm. "River? You in there?" He asked. "I think Amelia's hungry…" Despite what he's told everyone, he doesn't actually speak baby. All they do really is gurgle.

No answer came from the bathroom, so the Doctor knocked harder and hoped that she just couldn't hear him from Amelia's crying. "River?" He said louder. "I'm opening the door…"

He opened the door slowly, revealing the small bathroom was empty. The Doctor stared at the empty room a second before shutting the door and leaving the room completely, hoping to find River outside, maybe talking to a cat nun or someone, but the hall was empty too.

The Doctor swore quietly under his breath and went over to a nearby info panel. He took a second longer than usual to pull out his screwdriver because of the little girl in his arm, but he managed to pull it out. He fiddled with it a bit, then pointed the sonic at the panel, turning it on.

Information flew rapidly on the screen until the Doctor found what he was looking for. He laid the screwdriver gently by Amelia in the crook of his arm and pressed some buttons on the screen, filtering through what he was searching for.

Amelia quieted down as he was looking and the Doctor looked down, terrified something was wrong. Amelia looked back up at him with wide brown eyes as she held the screwdriver, huge in her tiny hands, and sucked on the green tip.

The Doctor chuckled to himself as he looked back at the screen. "You shouldn't suck on that… Probably get a time head or something…" He actually laughed a bit, remembering Amy and their conversation about time heads, such a long time ago.

He grumbled a bit at the screen when a loading screen popped and looked back at Amelia. "You know, I need that back." Amelia made a babbling sound when he tried to gently take the screwdriver from her. She looked at him with her big brown orbs and started to cry again.

"No, no… Don't…" The Doctor said vainly as she cried. With a defeated sigh, he gave her back his screwdriver and she immediately started sucking on the tip again, getting slobber everywhere. "We need to get you something to eat…" He said as he turned his attention back to the screen.

Zero results found. River wasn't in the hospital nor was she anywhere within a hundred feet, nor was she back on the TARDIS. The Doctor blinked away forming tears. He knew precisely where she was. Back at Stormcage, leaving him all alone with Amelia.

**There you go! Remember, the review box at the bottom does not bite! Reviews are lovely things that keeps me going! If you have an idea for the fanfic, a scenario for the Doctor as a new(ish) dad, please tell me.**


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor left the hospital quietly, little Amelia in his arm, wrapped up tightly in the blanket. Thankfully none of the cat nuns tried to stop him on his way out and the small trip to the TARDIS was without incident, although Amelia still held his screwdriver tightly, her little fingers barely wrapping around tool.

"Are you really that hungry?" The Doctor asked as he snapped his fingers of his free hand and the TARDIS doors opened. The doors closed behind him and he left the console room completely, looking for the kitchen, hoping that the TARDIS didn't move it from last night.

She didn't, although the Doctor could feel some emotions coming from her. For some reason that the TARDIS wasn't telling him, she was a bit upset at him and the Doctor could feel a TARDIS tantrum coming on. He didn't know why she was mad, none of this was really his fault, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. The Doctor sighed as he gently laid Amelia down on the table, the blanket acting as a bit of a pillow.

"Stay there…" The Doctor said to Amelia as he turned his back to her to find some baby formula or something he could give her. Even though the TARDIS was mad at him, the Doctor still trusted the TARDIS to warn him if she were to somehow roll off.

The Doctor sorted through the cupboards, going to the way back where he found a chocolate bar dating 1745, but no formula. Could he give a baby regular milk? Would that make a difference? The Doctor gave a defeated sigh. Probably wasn't the best idea…

"Now what?" The Doctor grumbled to himself. From the table, little Amelia started to cry again, the sonic screwdriver abandoned. "What's the matter?" He asked, going over to her and picking her up.

As soon as he picked her up, an atrocious smell reached his nose and the Doctor knew immediately what was wrong. "Oh, Amelia… I don't have any diapers onboard…" He said as she cried louder. Suddenly the Doctor had an idea of what to do. "Um… Can you just hang on a moment?" He asked as he carried her back to the console.

Carefully with one hand while Amelia cried he typed in some coordinates and the TARDIS took off. The Doctor held on to the console tightly with his free hand, his knuckles turning white, to steady himself until they landed.

When the TARDIS stilled, the Doctor ran to the door, trusting that they landed in the right spot. He opened the door and let out a breath of relief when he found that he was in the right spot and the right time.

Trying to quiet down Amelia, the Doctor hurried down the light post lit darkened street, looking for the right house.

"Craig, the bell's ringing!" Sophie called from Alfie's room as she tried to quiet down the bouncing baby boy for bed.

"I'll get it!" Craig yelled from downstairs, apparently not hearing Sophie from all the crying that was going on. It seemed louder than usual. Craig put the newspaper his was reading down and went to the door. "We don't want…" He paused. "Doctor!"

The last time he saw the Doctor, he was cheery and seemed excited to 'try out a social call', but now he seemed a lot different. He looked tired and frankly, worried.

"Craig!" The Doctor said, trying to be cheerful. He was honestly relieved to get the right person. "I need your help."

"With what?" Craig asked. Mutely the Doctor lifted up crying Amelia. "Wha- Come in." He opened the door wide and the Doctor came in.

"Sophie!" Craig quietly yelled, hoping that she wasn't too busy with Alfie. Alone, Sophie came down the stairs.

"What is it?" She asked, before seeing the Doctor. She turned to him and grinned. "Doctor!"

"Hello Sophie." The Doctor said, gently rocking the baby in his arms. "Do you have any diapers?"

"What do I do?" The Doctor asked Sophie as he unwrapped Amelia from the baby blanket and laid her down on the changing table.

"Well, it's quite simple really." Sophie said as she looked around in a cupboard for smaller diaper that would fit the tiny girl. "How old is she?"

"About a day." The Doctor replied.

"She's only a day old? Why isn't she in a hospital with her mother?" Sophie asked as she located a diaper hopefully small enough for Amelia.

"It's a long story." The Doctor said quietly and he cleared his throat. "She'll be fine. So, what do I do first?"

"Well, first you need to undo those tabs there." Sophie said, pointing to the small tabs on the sides. The Doctor nodded and did as she said. "And now pull that forward…"

"Oh! Amelia!" The Doctor said as he peeled the diaper back and the most horrid smell came from the diaper, including a sight that the Doctor wouldn't describe to his worst enemies. He fought back a gagging reflex as he looked to Sophie for some help.

She gave him a little smile as she handed him a package of baby wipes. "Here you go."

"Thanks…" The Doctor said quietly as he accepted the wipes and got to work, trying to stay as far away from the horrible sight as possible.

"Craig should be back with some formula soon." Sophie said as she watched the Doctor clean up Amelia's little mess.

"Good." The Doctor said, finishing up cleaning up gross baby poo. He threw away the filthy diaper and wipes away and then turned to Sophie. "Okay, how do I put the new diaper on?"

She smiled at him and started to demonstrate how to put a diaper on. A couple minutes after she finished, Craig returned, handing a bottle of milk to the Doctor. He picked Amelia up and took the bottle from Craig and started feeding Amelia.

The Doctor sat on the couch as he watched Amelia sleep in the baby carrier that Craig and Sophie gave him. Craig came in a, some hot tea in his hand and he handed one to the Doctor.

"So…" Craig started, unsure of what to say as he sat down. "Uh, what brings you here? To us?"

"I need help; I don't know how to take care of a kid." The Doctor said quietly, staring at Amelia.

"But, I thought you can speak baby… You can do the shushing thing, remember?" He said, mimicking the shushing thing.

"I've already tried it on her." The Doctor said.

"You're not going to travel and save the universe with her, are you?" Craig asked, spilling his thoughts for the Doctor.

"No."

"Remember to call us if you need anything!" Sophie said as the Doctor left, Amelia in the baby carrier.

"I will!" He yelled back, reaching the TARDIS. "Bye!"

* * *

The Doctor held the pink little bundle in the crook of his arm, while studying the items on the store shelf in front of him. Amelia had been in the baby carrier that now lay abandoned on the grocery cart, but she had other ideas. Until he had finally given in and picked her up, she screamed at the top of her tiny lungs, causing everyone else in the story to glare at him with disapproving eyes. Thankfully, now she was sleeping contently as he browsed for diapers.

He had run out of baby stuff Sophie and Craig had given him less than an hour after he found a small flat to live for a while in as he sorted everything out.

He had absolutely no idea what he was even _looking _for. Sighing, the Doctor picked up a random package and read over the back, having absolutely no idea what any of it meant. With another defeated sigh he placed the package back and picked up another one. Why couldn't he figure out which one to get? He's _The Doctor, _the last Time Lord, the Oncoming Storm, Destroyer of Worlds and he couldn't pick out proper nappies. There was no way he could raise Amelia if he can't even do this seemingly simple task. And of course the TARDIS was being huffy, so he couldn't get any diapers from there.

And of course, the diapers were right next to the feminine products, so everyone who glanced over seemed to think that he was some sort of pervert because Amelia was too small to be seen in his arm. This was just not his day today. And unfortunately, someone decided to come over and give him a piece of their mind.

"What d'you think you're doing, mate?" Someone said loudly as they neared. A very familiar voice, one the Doctor hadn't heard for a while but one he certainly feared all the same. The Doctor turned with a confused look towards the one and only Jackie Tyler, praying to whatever was watching over, that he didn't believe in anyway, that she wouldn't slap him. Not that she would know who he was, thank god.

"Uh… Diapers..." The Doctor said quietly as he motioned to the shelf. Jackie's loud voice had startled Amelia and she looked up at her Dad with wide brown eyes and opened her mouth. The Doctor knew all too well what was about to happen next. He grimaced as Amelia began to wail very loudly, which was quite a feat considering how small she was.

"Oh…" Jackie's face turned from disapproving to soft as soon as she heard Amelia crying. "Here, let me take her." She said quietly as she held her arms out. Without saying anything, the Doctor carefully transferred the baby to Jackie's arms. "Oh, she's a tiny one, ain't she? My Rose was quite a bit bigger than her… Where's her mother?"

"Um…" The Doctor stammered, a little surprised about the question. "She's gone…" He said. It wasn't really a lie, River was actually gone off in Stormcage, but he still felt like he was fibbing a bit. He really hoped that Jackie wouldn't pick up on it… After all, she's never seen this face and she wouldn't know what to look for.

"Oh? You poor thing…" Jackie said, half to him and half to Amelia. "No wonder you have no idea what you're doing. How old is she?" Jackie asked the Doctor.

" 'Bout a week." He said, looking at Amelia. She had quieted down a few seconds after being held by Jackie and now was making a sort of babbling noise.

"Oh, no wonder she's so small…" Jackie replied, looking down at Amelia and gently touching her nose. Amelia must have thought it was funny or something, because she did the best to smile and laugh, but it was more of a gurgling noise. Jackie smiled at her. "You'll want those for now." She said, pointing at a package of diapers in a pink covering. "What else do you need for her?"

"Some formula, clothes and other baby stuff." He said, mentally going through his shopping list as he placed a couple of packages of diapers in the cart.

"I help you find them." Jackie said as she put Amelia down in the baby carrier. Remarkably, she stayed calm when Jackie tucked her in with the soft burgundy red baby blanket that had been made by River, presumably while she was in Stormcage.

"Thank you." The Doctor said honestly as Jackie led him to get everything he needed.

* * *

"I met a man at a shop today." Jackie said to Rose as she washed the dishes.

"Oh? Good for you, Mom. But I thought you were seeing Howard." Rose commented as she read the newspaper from the kitchen table. She had just returned from traveling with the Doctor and she needed some clothes washed.

"Not like that." Jackie said. "He's about your age, very good looking, and he's all alone with a newborn, poor man…"

"You trying to set me up with someone?" Rose asked with a smile.

"Well, he's probably a lot better than the Doctor, less of an age gap. I think he's a proper professor, so he's probably got some money, Rose…"

Rose laughed. "I'm fine with the Doctor, Mum, but thanks."

"Alright then." Jackie shrugged. "Oh, and we've also got a new neighbor, so I've invited her over for tea, so help me tidy up! Don't just sit there like a lump."

**Remember if you have ideas about what I should do next, tell me and I will use then! Honestly I need all the help I can get...**

**And thank you for reviewing!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, first time skip! Amelia's about, oh maybe four months old now so it's not that big of a skip, but I thought I should tell you. There will be a lot of time skips on here.**

**One last thing, Pineapple Angel 14, thank you for the many ideas! There is a cameo made by Martha, and Ten!, in the next story in this series, where Amelia is about one and I can't tell you more without giving it away, but don't worry, they are in there!**

**Everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed, thank you for your support!**

* * *

The Doctor read at the kitchen table, a cup of tea by his left hand and Amelia sat in her high chair at the other, staring at him while she sucked on the tip of a sonic screwdriver. The Doctor long since taken his own screwdriver away from her while she slept, which seemed like only during the day and _never _at night, and gave her a duplicate that was safe for her and couldn't do anything besides light up at the end and make the sonic noise, which she seemed to enjoy.

"You hungry yet?" The Doctor asked, looking at Amelia. She made a gurgling noise back and stared at him, not letting go of the toy sonic. He sighed and looked at the clock on the microwave. "It's supper time…" He said, getting up and searching the cupboard for baby food. "So, what sounds good? Carrots or mashed peas?"

Amelia made a bit of a snorting babbling sound that sounded vaguely like an annoyed no, and honestly, the Doctor agreed with her. "Yeah, I know." He said, taking the can that was labeled carrots. "Sounds gross, I know. Probably wish you could have something better, like fish fingers and custard."

He opened the bottle of baby food and grabbed a spoon from a nearby drawer. Putting the food down on the table, the Doctor was about to attempt the hardest and the most dangerous thing ever attempted by any creature in the universe; take away a child's toy so they can eat. Cautiously, the Doctor moved his hand towards the toy sonic, Amelia watching his every move.

"Come on…" The Doctor said quietly to himself as Amelia moved the screwdriver every time he got close. With slight amusement, Amelia kept moving it, thinking it was some sort of game. Finally, he managed to grab the end, the not slobbery end, and he tugged it experimentally, trying to judge her reaction. Amelia, still thinking it was a game, tugged back.

"You need to eat." He said firmly as he tugged on the toy harder, enough to pull it away from her. She gasped at the sudden absence of the toy, looked at her empty hand then back up at the Doctor, her bottom lip quivering and wide eyes looking at him. With an abrupt pang of regret, the Doctor's slight smile from getting the toy disappeared.

"No, no, no, no..." The Doctor pleaded as Amelia began to wail at the emptiness in her mouth and hands. Quickly, the Doctor grabbed the pureed carrots and the spoon and he opened it. Filling the tiny spoon, he brought it to her mouth, hoping she would accept food for the empty space left by the toy screwdriver.

"Yes!" The Doctor said quietly as Amelia stopped crying and accepted the spoonful of food. But the Doctor's hope died as she spat it out and started to bawl once more. He wiped the carrot slop off his face with a defeated sigh. The Doctor put the toy on the table and went back to the cupboards.

"Do you want to try something else then? Maybe the peas?" He asked, speaking above Amelia's loud cry. He could understand why his neighbors probably hated him. After getting the peas out and opening them, he grabbed the carrots and stuck them in the fridge, hoping that maybe one day she'll be willing to try the carrots again and eat a couple teaspoons out of the bottle before it would be chucked away.

He grabbed a new baby spoon and dipped it into the jar of peas, hoping that this would be the one that she would eat some of. Making weird airplane noises, he brought up the spoon to her mouth and she stopped crying for a second to take a bite.

Time seemed to slow down as Amelia rolled the disgusting green glop around her mouth, a bit falling out and on to her chin. Watching with raised eyebrows, the Doctor prayed with all his being that she would swallow this bite and maybe even, if he was lucky, take another bite. He mentally cheered as he watched her swallow.

However, his luck ran out and she spat the next spoonful in his face. This was going to be a long night for both him and his neighbors.

* * *

"Da." The Doctor said loud and clear the next morning, hoping Amelia would pick up on it. They were both sitting on the floor in the living room, Amelia watching the Doctor attentively, the sonic screwdriver lying forgotten in her lap. "Daaa." The Doctor repeated, drawing out the word.

"Aaahhh." Amelia said as she tried to repeat, a slight smile on her face.

"Daaa…" The Doctor tried again.

"Aaahhhh!" Amelia squealed happily, thinking she got the word correct. The Doctor chuckled as he leaned forward and pick Amelia up.

"Close enough." He said, bouncing her on his knee. She giggled madly as he held her up, making it seem like him bouncing her made her go up higher than she really was.

The Doctor laughed with her as he started to slow down and she looked at him with slight disappointment. When she looked at him, the Doctor laid back and held little Amelia above him making airplane noises as she began to laugh again.

* * *

"Yeah… Um, hang on… When is that?" The Doctor asked as he paced the small kitchen with a phone in his hand. He was trying to get a job, just as a human would; only he was cheating a bit by using the physic paper as his credentials.

Amelia watched from her chair, playing with the sonic as she watched him pace. He snuck little smiles and stuck his tongue out occasionally at her while the man on the other side chattered on, trying to make her smile. He managed it a few times, but mostly she just stared at him.

"Where?" The Doctor asked the man on the phone. "I-I can't; I have a four month old daughter…" He said, looking over at Amelia. Naturally, she decided now was the time to sniffle and start crying.

"Great…" The Doctor said as he rubbed his eyebrows. She seemed to cry all the time… "Could you hang on a second?" He asked, putting the man on hold. The Doctor went over to Amelia and picked her up, discovering that she was the victim of a dirty diaper.

"Sorry about that." The Doctor said to the man on the phone after he changed Amelia's diaper. "What were you saying?" While the man talked, the Doctor returned to making faces at Amelia. This time, she giggled at each one. He guessed that she wasn't laughing earlier because she was too busy doing _other_ things.

"I can't do an overnight trip… Do you have any other interview openings?" The Doctor asked. "No… Okay, I'll think of something. Four thirty, right?" He finished the call and put the phone back in the charger before turning to Amelia.

"Uh… How do you feel about a baby sitter?" He asked.

The Doctor packed up the bag as he mentally went over everything Amelia would need for an overnight stay. Was ten diapers enough? Should be, but the Doctor threw in a few extra just in case. What else would she need? Her blanket, oh maybe a few toys to keep her entertained… And definitely the toy screwdriver. Amelia wouldn't be going anywhere willingly without it.

The Doctor looked over at the sleeping baby in the baby carrier with a slight worried expression on his face. This would be the first time he had ever left her alone and even though Sarah Jane wasn't a stranger and he trusted her, the Doctor could help but feel worried for Amelia. It was truthfully a new feeling for him. He hadn't felt like this for any of his other children.

With a sigh, the Doctor kept packing everything Amelia would need to make their trip in less than an hour.

"How-?" The Doctor questioned as he looked over the manual for the baby car seat. Honestly, it was more complex than the TARDIS manual, which he chucked into a star a long time ago. If he had the option, he would throw this into a black hole.

After a while, the Doctor managed to figure out which strap went were and how they connected. With a silent triumphant cry, the Doctor got Amelia, who was mercifully still asleep and he tenderly sat her in the car seat, managing to not wake her up.

As soon as she was settled, the Doctor went to the front seat and started the car, grimacing at the engine starting, but there wasn't any indication from the back seat that it awoke Amelia. Giving a slightly reassuring small smile to himself, he started to drive.

Amelia only made a fuss once during the forty minute trip to Sarah Jane's, which shouldn't have taken that long but there was traffic. The Doctor stopped at a gas station, changed Amelia's dirty diaper, and set her back down in the car seat. She didn't fall asleep right away, but babbled away, laughing whenever the Doctor stopped at a red light and either made a funny face or made her smile with a weird noise. About five minutes before they reached their destination, she fell back asleep.

The Doctor pulled into Sarah Jane's driveway at about five in the afternoon, Sarah Jane waiting outside for him with a big smile on her face. "You're late." She said as he got out of the car.

The Doctor smiled back, getting Amelia out of the car and back into her baby carrier, which he had put in the trunk along with the overnight bag. "I'm always late." He said, trying to sound a bit grumbly.

Sarah Jane laughed as she opened the door to her house for the Doctor, letting him inside.

"She's a bit… Nocturnal…" The Doctor said as he got ready to go off to the job interview, which was an overnight drive away. "She also hates most baby food, so she'll probably spit in your face. And she likes to play with the sonic, which is in her bag." The Doctor said, looking at Amelia.

"You gave her your screwdriver?" Sarah Jane asked.

"No, it's just a toy. Just makes the sound." The Doctor said quickly as he looked at the time. "Oh! I got to go." He said, but made no move towards the door.

Sarah Jane smiled at him. "She'll be fine. I'll call of anything happens."

The Doctor took one last look at Amelia, snoozing away. "Thank you." He said, giving Amelia a little kiss before leaving, looking back at Sarah Jane's several times before leaving.


	5. Chapter 5

**I've seen like two episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures. If this is bad, I'm sorry.**

* * *

Sarah Jane smiled as the Doctor drove off, Amelia sleeping contently in the baby carrier. It amazed her that he was trying to have a normal life and trying to raise his daughter as a human.

"I'm home!" Luke loudly announced as he closed the door behind him. Startled, Amelia opened her eyes, took a deep breath and started to cry. Sarah Jane gasped and pulled her out of the carrier, trying to quiet her.

"Hi." Sarah Jane said as Luke went to the kitchen, probably to grab a snack. He paused when he saw his mom with a crying baby. "Oh, I'm just babysitting." She said with a smile and his confused face disappeared.

"Babysitting for who? Oh, and can Clyde come in? He's waiting outside."

"Yes, just tell him to be quiet." Sarah Jane said as Amelia started to calm down. She smiled as Amelia curiously looked around, unfamiliar with her new surroundings. She babbled a bit as Luke returned, his friend with him.

"Who are you babysitting for?" Luke asked, looking at Amelia. She looked back at him, eyes widened with interest. He stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed.

"The Doctor." Sarah Jane replied, giggling at Amelia's laughter.

"The Doctor has a kid?" Clyde asked.

"Yes." Sarah Jane said as Amelia looked over at Clyde. He tried to make her laugh by sticking out his tongue like Luke, but she just stared at him. Disappointed by her reaction, he tried doing something else and crossed his eyes. She laughed at that.

* * *

Later, after Sarah Jane feed Amelia, which wasn't a problem at all, even though the Doctor said she wouldn't eat most of it, Amelia had a healthy serving of puréed yams and a spoonful of mashed carrots, which she didn't like as much, but she still ate it, Luke and Clyde entertained her in the living room, making all sorts of faces at her and playing with her.

"Can she speak yet?" Clyde asked Sarah Jane as Luke tickled Amelia and she laughed at the top of her tiny lungs.

"I doubt it." Sarah Jane said as she looked through the overnight bag. "But she might be able to… After all, she is the Doctor's daughter."

"Can you say Luke?" Luke asked, turning back to Amelia.

"Oo!" Amelia said proudly. "Ooo!"

"Luke." He repeated, pointing at his chest, indicating that's who he was.

"Oo!" She repeated firmly, pointing at him. Sarah Jane chuckled, pulling out everything Amelia would need for the night. Amelia heard the rustling and looked over just as Sarah Jane pulled out the screwdriver. She smiled and looked at Sarah Jane, expecting her to give the toy over.

But Sarah Jane didn't notice Amelia looking eagerly, hoping for the toy and she put it back in the bag, hiding it from Amelia's view. Her lower lip quivered and Amelia began to cry.

"Don't cry!" Luke said as he tried to make her giggle by making another face at her. Amelia looked at Luke and cried harder, her little hands balled into fists.

"It's okay…" Sarah Jane said as she left the overnight bag, picked Amelia up and started rocking her. "Do you have a dirty diaper?" She asked as she checked. "Nope. What's the matter?" Sarah Jane asked as she slowly paced the room.

As she passed over the overnight bag, Amelia stopped crying and reached down. Sarah Jane looked where she was reaching for and smiled.

"Here you go." She said as she bent over and got the sonic, handing it to Amelia. She immediately stopped crying and grabbed it gleefully, sticking the tip in her mouth while she pushed the button on the side with her chubby little fingers. It made the noise in her mouth and she squealed happily .

* * *

The Doctor tapped nervously on the steering wheel of the car. He should've taken the TARDIS, it would have been much faster, he thought as he sat through the one of the worst things he was surprised humans could take. A traffic jam.

Inch by inch he moved, covering a block in twenty minutes. Seeing that the jam continued up for at least another couple of blocks, the Doctor sighed. This would take a while.

Amelia slept soundly in her baby carrier as Sarah Jane rocked it, sitting on her porch waiting for the Doctor to pull up.

* * *

She looked at her watch just as he pulled into her driveway. Smiling, she got up and greeted him as he got out of the car. "You're late again."

"Traffic is horrible. How do you stand it?" The Doctor asked. "Should've just taken the TARDIS. How was Amelia?"

"She was good." Sarah Jane said.

"Really?" The Doctor asked, slightly surprised.

"Yes." Sarah Jane said with a chuckle. "She likes yams over carrots, though."

"Did she spit it in your face?" The Doctor asked, picturing Sarah Jane covered in orange baby spit up.

"No. She was a little angel."

"Really?" The Doctor repeated. He went over to Amelia and looked over at her as she began to wake up. "Were you actually good?"

"Ahh!" Amelia cooed, her arms reaching up for the Doctor. He pulled her out of the baby carrier and held her close. She smiled at him, apparently happy that he was back. "Ahh eee!" She said happily.

"Oh, did you miss me?" The Doctor asked, gently touching her nose. She giggled. Rocking Amelia gently, the Doctor turned to Sarah Jane. "Thanks for watching over her."

"It was no problem at all." She said with a smile. "Did you get the job?"

"Nah, the hours were too long." The Doctor said as he picked up the baby carrier and the overnight bag with his free hand.

* * *

The Doctor pulled out onto the highway after he settled Amelia into her car seat and said his goodbyes to Sarah Jane. Stopping at a red light, the Doctor let his mind wander as he waited for the light to change. He mostly thought about little Amelia and her possible future.

Finally the light turned green and the Doctor turned his attention back to road, crossing the intersection. They were about twenty minutes from home and if he was fast, Amelia wouldn't wake until-

CRUNCH!

The Doctor was thrown sideways in his seat the loud sound of metal on metal colliding and bending and tires screeching as they were pushed sideways. Although the whole experience lasted a mere few seconds, 12.4 to be exact, it felt like much longer for the car to come to a rest.

Head spinning, the Doctor looked right to see what hit them. Through shattered glass and twisted metal, the crumble hood of a black SUV peeked through. As the driver of the SUV looked up, the Doctor caught a quick glimpse of whoever hit him before the steering wheel air bag went off with a mighty WHOOSH, hit him in the face and he passed out.

* * *

Someone was pulling on him. The Doctor opened his eyes as someone hauled him out of the passenger's side of the car, glass and whatnot being dragged with him, scraping his back through his tweed jacket. He closed his eyes again as he was placed on a solid surface, most likely the ground, and tuned out whoever was attempting to talk to him.

From off in the distance, Amelia's crying brought his attention back to reality and the Doctor opened his eyes, looking blearily up. Blinking, the person above him quickly came into focus.

"Martha?" The Doctor asked, slightly confused. What was Martha Jones doing here?

"Are you okay?" She asked, not really noticing that he said her name. She must have mentioned it earlier then, when he was tuning her out. "You've just been in a car accident; can you tell me your name?"

The Doctor sat up quickly, ignoring Martha's protests and attempts to lay him back down. "Where's Amelia?!" He asked, panicked.

"Calm down!" Martha said, trying to get him to lie back down. "Is the baby's name Amelia? She's fine, just a little scared."

The Doctor got to his feet. "Where is she?" He asked again, panicking more.

"It's alright, she's right here." A woman with a Welsh accent said as she walked up to the Doctor. Amelia was in her arms, crying loudly. From what the Doctor could see, she had some cuts on her face and a bump on her head.

"Give her to me." The Doctor instructed, taking a few steps towards the woman, who he recognized to Gwen Cooper. Why was she here as well? And why wasn't anyone listening to him?

* * *

**That's it. Can you guess who hit the Doctor? *cough* Torchwood *cough*.**

**Damn you HARKNESS!**

**Anyway, sorry about the wait. I'm going through a tough time currently and it feels like writing and painting are what's keeping me going forward. If that made since.**

**Sorry, it's one in the morning. I should be asleep.**


End file.
